Thursday 7th April:
3.00am alarm and we're off at 04.15am, Ian taking us to Heathrow as usual. It's entirely stress free and we're through security and in the departure lounge in just two and a half hours, but not without a complete inspection of my case containing the five cameras.
More technology gains as my iPhone on 4G provides me with a wi-if hotspot for the iPad, and negates the need to hook up to the open airport wi-if; one day we'll have 4G in Oakham, dream on!
Everything is going swimmingly well, pleasant flight, good service, chatty Sunderland supporter next to me who's happy for Leicester to win the league, just as long as Sunderland beat them this coming weekend.......and then we get to Miami, Welcome to the United States!!
We don't really want to be in the US, just making a connection to Quito, Ecuador, no need for your formidable hospitality Uncle Sam. Two and a half hours of utter shambles starts with machines to read our passport. Ours cannot tell our right hand from our left hand and has difficulty reading our fingerprints, but it does give each of us a receipt, and critically mine has a cross and a message to head for manual passport control, Lorna's is clear. It's a random check the lady says, but 90% of passengers have the same cross and the line takes the first hour of our transit. A change of agent at our desk takes 10 minutes as the new guy comforts himself, before deigning to beckon more folk through.
Fortunately our luggage is checked, all the way through to Quito, and we thought we were, but we now have to find American Airlines check in, but we've got our printed boarding passes and so we join the next line to get through security. After fifteen minutes a lady shouts, "Anyone with British Airways printed boarding passes will need to check in again as they're not scanning". This time I leave Lorna in line and visit the check-in, only five minutes, and new boarding passes are duly printed. A mild comment about the need for all this is met with a straight face and a comment that if she does not tick all the boxes her job is on the line line and we might both face a $10,000 fine, the welcome is overwhelming here in Miami.
Having dumped everything in four plastic trays I am reprimanded by a security guy as I forgot to remove my money belt, full of pristine new dollars. I dress and stash all the technology back into the backpacks and we now have 45 minutes to find the gate, 15 minutes really as they will start boarding beforehand. We find the gate we need and take the Sky Train arriving eventually just as they start boarding the Quito flight, we made it, just.
And so, if you wish to visit the United States even in transit, you are subject to the full welcome package, the smiling staff, and the guided tour round the airport along with hundreds of others who unbeknown have chosen the same tour as you.
Can I dictate some more of my blog please this is fantastic I will use this again to tell my story of the trip to South America because there is a bug in the system and you cannot scroll up or down once you've written more than a couple of paragraphs.
Eventually after a comfortable flight of four hours we arrive in Quito, a nice clean small airport with friendly, smiling staff, and are met by Hadye who talks non-stop for the 40 minute drive to our fabulous hotel in Quito old town. It's 11 PM as we check-in at Casa Gangotena, reputedly the best hotel in town. After 26 hours travelling we are both extremely tired and so it's straight to bed.
Everything is going swimmingly well, pleasant flight, good service, chatty Sunderland supporter next to me who's happy for Leicester to win the league, just as long as Sunderland beat them this coming weekend.......and then we get to Miami, Welcome to the United States!!
We don't really want to be in the US, just making a connection to Quito, Ecuador, no need for your formidable hospitality Uncle Sam. Two and a half hours of utter shambles starts with machines to read our passport. Ours cannot tell our right hand from our left hand and has difficulty reading our fingerprints, but it does give each of us a receipt, and critically mine has a cross and a message to head for manual passport control, Lorna's is clear. It's a random check the lady says, but 90% of passengers have the same cross and the line takes the first hour of our transit. A change of agent at our desk takes 10 minutes as the new guy comforts himself, before deigning to beckon more folk through.
Fortunately our luggage is checked, all the way through to Quito, and we thought we were, but we now have to find American Airlines check in, but we've got our printed boarding passes and so we join the next line to get through security. After fifteen minutes a lady shouts, "Anyone with British Airways printed boarding passes will need to check in again as they're not scanning". This time I leave Lorna in line and visit the check-in, only five minutes, and new boarding passes are duly printed. A mild comment about the need for all this is met with a straight face and a comment that if she does not tick all the boxes her job is on the line line and we might both face a $10,000 fine, the welcome is overwhelming here in Miami.
Having dumped everything in four plastic trays I am reprimanded by a security guy as I forgot to remove my money belt, full of pristine new dollars. I dress and stash all the technology back into the backpacks and we now have 45 minutes to find the gate, 15 minutes really as they will start boarding beforehand. We find the gate we need and take the Sky Train arriving eventually just as they start boarding the Quito flight, we made it, just.
And so, if you wish to visit the United States even in transit, you are subject to the full welcome package, the smiling staff, and the guided tour round the airport along with hundreds of others who unbeknown have chosen the same tour as you.
Can I dictate some more of my blog please this is fantastic I will use this again to tell my story of the trip to South America because there is a bug in the system and you cannot scroll up or down once you've written more than a couple of paragraphs.
Eventually after a comfortable flight of four hours we arrive in Quito, a nice clean small airport with friendly, smiling staff, and are met by Hadye who talks non-stop for the 40 minute drive to our fabulous hotel in Quito old town. It's 11 PM as we check-in at Casa Gangotena, reputedly the best hotel in town. After 26 hours travelling we are both extremely tired and so it's straight to bed.
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